Street and station indicator.



N0. 657,05. Patented Sept. 4,1900.

' H. R. MILLER.

STREET AND STATION INDICATOR.

A lication filed Jan. 17, 1900.)

iZ/ZMV 3 //0iv7easa THE NORRIS FEI'ERs CO, PHOTO-UTHO WASHINGTON, D c

No. 657,!75. Patented Sept. 4, I900.

H. R. MILLER.

STREET AND STATION INDICATOR.

(N0 uodeL) (Application filed Jan. 17, 1900.) 2 sh at sheet 2 are STAT S PATENT Clarion.

HARVEY R. MILLER, or BLooMINeToN, ILLINOIS.

STREET AND SSI'ATION INDICATOR SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,175, dated. Se tember 4, 1906. Application filed January 17,1900- Serial No. 1,786. (No model) To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY R. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street or Station Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to street or station indicators employing a tape having its opposite ends attached to and alternately wound upon two cylinders rotating upon fixed axes, so that names or other indicia of streets or stations are successively presented before an exposure-opening in the device; and myinvention consists in certain novel features of construction in the driving mechanism for the tape, in the means whereby winding motion imparted to one cylinder by propulsion of the tape is transmitted to the other winding-cylinder for the purpose of taking up the tape,

and in the arrangement of the names or in dicia on the tape, whereby the latter is adapted in its travel in opposite directions before the exposureopening to designate a given series of streets or stations which occur repeatedly in the same order-as, for instance, in a railway operating on a belt-line or 1oop-all of which features will be hereinafterfully described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved indicator with one wall of the casin g removed. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the indicator. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively edge and sectional Views of the motor. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of streets or stations upon the tape.

1 represents a suitable casing,within which are mounted winding-cylinders 2 2, rotatable upon fixed axes and connected, respectively, with opposite ends of a tape 3, which may be driven in either direction by a drive-r0114, having a pressure-roller 5, held thereto by a spring 6, the drive-roll 4 being rotated in either direction by means of a suitable motor 7 through the medium of a reversing-gear 8 and transmitting-wheel 9. WVhile any suitable form of motor 7 may be employed for imparting a definite degree of rotation to the drive-roll 4,I prefer to employ a spring-motor, to be hereinafter described, which is inter mittently wound by a lever 11 under control of a cord 10, leading to a point within con} venient reach of the conductor or other operator.

The reversinggear comprises the bevelwheel 8, meshing with the transmitting-Wheel 9, and bevel-pinions 12 13, mounted on axis 14, which protrudes through the front'of the indicator and is moved longitudinally to bring either of said pinions into mesh With the gear wheel 8, said axis being rotated in the same direction by means of the elongated pinion 15, which is in constant engagement with the drive-wheel 16 of the motor 7.

By the above-described means the tape may be propelled in either direction, to be determined by the adjustment of the axis 14. In whichever direction the tape travels it rotates one of the winding-cylinders 2, and corresponding surface movement will be transmitted from the cylinder being rotated by the tape to the other cylinder, regardless of the diameter of the roll of tape accumulated upon the cylinders, by means now to be described.

18 represents rollers having frictional contact with the tape wound upon the cylinders 2, which rollers are connected by a belt 19, which causes either to be rotated by the other. Said rollers are journaled in a frame 20, mounted upon a pivot 21, movable in a slot 22, while a spring 23, suitably connected at one end to the frame 20 and at the other end to a fixed point 24, preferably through the medium of an adjustable screw 25, constantly holds the rollers 18 into contact with the cylindrical bodies of tape. By the pivoted mounting of the frame 20 the latter may rock upon its bearing, so as to compensatefor the winding of the tape upon one roller andits unwinding from the other, and whatever the diameters of the bodies of Wound tape'may be equal surface movement will be imparted from one to the other, and the tape willbe wound upon either cylinder as fast as it is unwound from the other by the driving roll 4.

It will be understood that the motor is ad justed to propel the tape a given distance each time the lever 11 is drawn up and released, such distance being regulated so as to s2 carats bring the diiferent markings of streets or stations consecutively before the exposure-opening 26 of the indicator.

The motor which I prefer to employ comprises a driving-spring 27 on the shaft 28 of the lever 11, which rotates said shaft a certain distance determined by the stop 29 on a fixed part of the motor-frame engaging the arm 30 on said shaft each time the lever 11 is drawn upward. The shaft 28 has a dog-andratchet connection 31 with the driving-wheel 16, hereinbefore referred to, so that each time the spring 27 is wound by drawing the cord 10 the wheel 16 remains stationary until the I cord is released, when rotation will be imparted to said wheel by the unwinding of the spring and to, a limited degree just sufficient to move the next marking of thetape in front of the exposure-opening, The motor isliker wise preferably provided with the alarm and governing mechanism comprising a train of gearing 3-2, leading from the drive-wheel 16, and an escape e t 33, carrying a striker 34., that coeperates with bell 35 to produce an audible signal each time the tape. is shifted. When the indicator is usedupona un- 1' niin'g upon a belt-line, it is necessary that-the. tape be provided with a double seto-f markings arranged in alternating positions Mid-in: reverse order, as suggested in Fig. 5, in order that the reciprocal movement of the tape will present the names or numbers of the streets or stations in proper order, the markings be ingso disposed with relation to the distance thetape is shifted each time that they will be alternately presented for reading Thus; in traveling around the belt with the tape moving i-none direction oneset of -rnarkings.-

for instance, from 1 to 30- -r-rwil'l be pre sented consecutively before the exposure opening 26, and when the belt is completed and the car starts to make the saine'circnit again the driving mechanism is shifted, the tape moves in the opposite direction, and the alternate set of markings, also running from 1 to 30, will'bepresented. I-f theindicator is used upon a car runningupon a route having a loop at one end, sothat the last few markings are presented, and then the car returns to the portion of the route upon, which the streets or stations are passed in reverse; order, the tape is markedifor all the seriesof,

stations or streets, including the loop, and when the travel of the loop is completed; thetape will be adjusted manually in the di rection to which it has now been reversed il' h tations or streetsoccurring in the 1' loop and which are not passed in reverse order are past the exposure-opening and the 5 se es f s tio s. o streets which are to he passedin the reverse direction alter-cached in the tape. Thism-anual adjustment of the: d cator-may be ef ected t rough the medium of no head. 36 on o e-0f "the 1 forth; Having s. described my i;nvention.,ythe A winding-cylinders.

" contact with their respective cylinders.

' 2. An indicator of the character described, comprising a tape, cylinders upon which the ends of the tape are wound, spaced apart upon fixed axes, a motor for driving the tape, a. reversing connection between said motor and said tape-driving means, and a frictional surface-contact device making driving connection between the surfaces of the two 'cylind-era, consisting of a pair of rollers, means for holding said rollers in contact with their respective cylinders, and a belt connecting the axles of said rollers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3,. An "indicator of the character described comprising a tape, cylinders spaced apart upon fixed axes, and upon which the tape is wound, suitable means for driving the tape, and a frictional surface-contact driving connection between the two cylinders comprising apair of connected friction-rollers bearing against the tape Wound upon the respective cylindermyand a pivotal frame upon which said rollers are'mounted substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. An indicator of the character'described comprising a tape, cylinders spaced apart upon fixed axes, and upon which the tape is forth,

5. An indicator of the, character described comprising a tape, cylinders spaced apart upon fixed axes, and upon which, the tape is wound, suitable meansfor driving the tape, a pair of connected friction-rollers bearing against, the tape Wound upon the respective xcyli-ndersyaframe in which said rollers are .jenrnaled, a pivot forsaid frame movable to and from theplane of thecylinders axes, and a spring, moving said; pivot for holding said rollersin contact with their respective cylinders;substantially as and for-the purposeset -6. Inan indicatonthe combination of apair of winding-cylinders, a tape wound alternately from one cylinder to the other, and means for driving the tape alternately in op posite directions; said tape having arranged upon it in reverse order two identical series of names or the like, with the names of each series alternating in position, said driving connection being adjusted to shift the tape a distance from one name to another in either series, skipping over the intermediate name of the other series, and the cylinders being provided with means for adjusting them so as to start with either series; substantially as set forth.

7. An indicator of the character described comprising a tape, cylinders upon which the tape is Wound, a tape-driver, a motor having a limited movement, means for actuating said motor, a reversing connection between said motor and tape-driver, and a frictional surface-contact driving connection between the two cylinders; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In an indicator of the character described, the combination of the winding-cy1inders,having driving connection With each other,a tapedriver, a motor and a reversing connnection between the tape-driver and the motor comprising the axially-adjustable shaft having constant connection with one of said parts, the bevel-gears upon said shaft, and a bevelwheel connected with the other of said parts, said shaft projecting in position to be manipulated, as explained.

HARVEY R. MILLER.

Witnesses:

HERVEY S. KNIGHT, ARABELLA F. WALL. 

